


Equestria Girls: Volume 6

by ChristaWolf, LonghaulHoofer



Series: Equestria Girls [6]
Category: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-01 04:50:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10914678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristaWolf/pseuds/ChristaWolf, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonghaulHoofer/pseuds/LonghaulHoofer
Summary: After Manehattan, Gemini Shadow and her friends go their separate ways for a while before eventually returning to Canterlot, begin having families of their own, and those girls eventually grow up to attend CHS.





	1. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem, her friends, and their lovers all return home to Canterlot after years of separation.

To anyone who had a time machine, Earth (to use its former name) would now look more like an alien planet than anything they’d recognize. In the four years that had passed since the species known as humans had been transformed into human-pony hybrids (though they thought of themselves as ponies), the sheer amount of magic saturating the world had changed it completely.

Technology, though it still existed, had grown to be replaced largely with magic. Cities made of clouds now filled the sky, and airplanes had been rebuilt, now pulled through the sky by teams of pegasi like chariots. Most forms of public transit were now pulled by earth aspects, save for cars, trucks, and trains, which ran on magic engines. Magi-tech also meant that ponykind could take its first steps beyond the world of New Equestria (as Earth was now known), and so they had begun to colonize the moon, followed in short order by Mars.

With New Equestria’s magic level equal to that of Equestria Prime (as the land of four-legged ponies was now referred to, to keep things straight), portals were now a common sight. Since the transformational properties had been rendered null and void, traveling between worlds was as easy as visiting another country, and it had become typical for denizens of both worlds to immigrate between them.

For Gemini Shadow, one of the mares responsible for the current state of the world, the changes were stratospheric. She had returned to her old hometown of Canterlot for the first time since equinification, and while most of it was familiar, much had changed. Buildings were made out of simpler materials than concrete, and in some cases, clouds. Butcher’s shops now sold hay-based meat substitutes.

But some things were reassuringly familiar. Shadowfall was one of them, it looked exactly as it had when she had been human, a time that Gem was struggling to remember. The other thing, of course, was Canterlot High School. The thing Gem noticed first about Canterlot High was how little the building had changed in the years that had passed since she had last been here. She half expected to see her younger self come striding outside, holding hands with Raven.

Gem smiled at the memory, and parked her car into an empty space, then got out. As she crossed the front lawn, her fingers brushed against the cold stone of the Wondercolts statue, and the portal within. She stuck a hand into the rippling stone briefly, then pulled it out and continued on her way through the main doors and into the building itself.

The memories came flooding back. Her arrival at the school, innumerable days of walking back and forth to classes or lunch, the many times she had run the length of the main hallway on some world-saving mission or other, the formals, spring flings, winter dances. As she passed the trophy case, she caught her reflection in the glass pane. A grey-skinned young unicorn mare in her late 20s with long brown hair and green eyes stared back, wearing a simple business outfit.

She smiled, straightened up, and moved down the empty halls toward Principal Luna's office. Celestia, she had learned, became District Superintendent after Neighsay’s retirement, and had instituted district-wide reforms to put each school on a level playing field, eliminating the need for a reputation to get better funding.

Gem smoothed out the folds in her skirt and knocked on the door lightly. “Principal Luna? It’s me!”

The office door opened, and on the other side was Luna, wearing a suit composed of various dark shades of blue. She too had changed, gaining a horn and wings plus hair that seemed to move by itself in an unseen wind. She smiled and wrapped Gem in a warm hug, then led her into the office. “Gemini,” she said happily. “You look beautiful this afternoon. How was your trip?”

Gemini blushed a little at the compliment and smiled. “Wonderful! I'm so glad to be back, I’ve missed it... I don’t suppose you’d like to join me for some lunch?”

Luna beamed and closed her laptop, “Absolutely! I assume as friends, not as colleagues?”

Gem nodded and rose to her feet, adjusting her purse strap. “But of course! Let’s do!”

* * *

An hour later, the two women were seated beneath an umbrella table at one of Canterlot’s finest sidewalk cafes, a salad and a glass of wine each before them. 

“How has Raven been?” Luna asked, as she swallowed a bite of lettuce.

“Splendid,” Gem said happily. “More than, in fact! She’s pregnant!”

Luna gaped, her mouth falling open. “Gemini, that’s wonderful news! How in the world did you manage it?!”

Gem giggled, “Princess Twilight was able to find a way for the two of us to create a zygote without intercourse. She’s only now starting to show, we’re both really pleased!”

Luna smiled. “As am I! I think the two of you will make wonderful mothers!”

Gem blushed, smiling warmly. “We've already been thinking of names, we're thinking of Orion if a colt, and Victoria if a filly.”

Luna nodded. "Those sound like fine names to me!" She took a bite of her salad and spoke once more. "Pray tell, what of the rest of your little friend group?"

Gem chuckled, "We've gone our separate ways, largely... Sunset is with Chrysalis in Las Pegasus, Emerald and Twilight are living in San Franciscolt, the Dazzlings have taken residence in Europe... We still write and visit of course, but we're all so terribly busy." Her smile faded. "I sometimes miss those younger days, when we all lived in the same town..."

Luna nodded, placing a pale blue hand on Gem's grey one. "I know how you feel... You and your friends united Canterlot High in ways we'll always be thankful for."

Blushing brightly, Gem smiled. "And you're very welcome," she said. "And while I don't imagine I'll be called upon to help defeat whatever magical menaces might come our way, it doesn't mean I won't try."

Luna chuckled, "You know, we haven't had very many of those... Not since your senior year, in fact."

Gem looked surprised. "Really? That's astounding! Maybe your luck will hold."

"I think it will," Luna said with a smile, finishing her lunch. “Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

Gem nods. “Have you heard from Longhaul recently? I'm curious as to what he's been doing since I saw him last.”

Luna hesitated, took a deep breath, and motioned for Gem to follow her. “I think it’s best if I explain back at the school… will you meet me there?”

Gem nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat. “Certainly.”

* * *

“As you know, after his retirement in your senior year,” Luna began, as the two walked down the hall, “Longhaul stayed pretty low-key, volunteering his services if myself or Tia asked him to help out. Retirement seemed to agree with him. Every now and then he and I would go to dinner, just to catch up on things, and he would always talk about leaving Canterlot and going somewhere warm. He had a soft spot for Appleloosa ... he liked the small-town charm and the fact that it didn't get cold and snowy like it did up here.” 

They turned the corner and walked toward the atrium. “He moved down there about a year ago. I still have the picture he sent me of his ranch house, it was very lovely, and the views he had of the open plains were spectacular.” They approached the trophy case. “About eight months ago, I received a letter from an attorney in Appleloosa. He was working around his ranch when he was stricken. Despite everything that was done for him …" Luna choked back a small sob, “he didn't make it. He passed a couple of days later. The doctor said his heart simply gave out.” The two stopped in front of a small bronze plaque, with the inscription “IN LOVING MEMORY – 'LONGHAUL' HOOFER – BUS DRIVER AND FRIEND” written upon it.

“The letter said Tia and I were the closest to family he had, and he regretted not being able to talk to you before he passed.” She brushed a tear away. “The alumni association wanted to do something nice to remember him, and Tia approved the plaque you see here.”

Gem feels her heart shatter into a thousand pieces at the news, staring at the plaque even as tears flooded her vision. "I didn't get to say goodbye..." she managed to whisper as she started to cry, burying her face into Luna's shoulder. After a while she takes a handkerchief from her pocket and dabs at her eyes. "After all he did for me... for us... It just isn't fair, or right..."

Luna hugs Gem and tries to comfort her. "I think Longhaul would have said that life has never been right or fair, but we have to accept what it gives us and use it to be stronger ponies, to grow in spirit and mind. And, as long as we remember what he did for us and do that to the others we meet, his spirit will live on in each of us.” After a few quiet minutes of mourning, Luna sighed. “Well, I hate to end our time together so abruptly, but I must return to my office… Being a Principal has many more responsibilities, after all."

Gem laughed a little, nodding. "I completely understand, Luna. I'll see you soon!" The two hugged, then Gem quietly made her way out of the building.

* * *

"I'm home!" Gem called, as she stepped through the doors of Shadowfall. She and Raven had only been back in town for a few months, but keeping the house in working order while they were gone meant that moving back in was a breeze. Steno had done some renovations, turning Gem's old room into a nursery. 

"Hey babe!" Raven managed to get up off the couch and walked over to her wife, kissing her cheek. "How'd it go with Luna?"

“Wonderfully,” Gem said with a smile. “And she gave me the name of Canterlot Elementary’s principal, I’m going to go talk to her tomorrow.”

Raven grinned, "That is awesome! I'm so happy for you!"

“I’d suggest we get the girls together,” Gem said, going to sit on the couch, “but I keep forgetting we can’t really do that anymore.”

Raven nodded and gave Gem’s hand a squeeze. “It’ll just be the two of us then,” she replied, smiling. Then she smirked a bit at her expanding belly, “I mean, the three of us.”

* * *

Adagio was having a lovely evening. Here she was, sitting at just one of so many street-side Parisian cafes, with a cup of tea and a croissant on the table beside her, and the Seine river in front of her. A couple of young lovers passed by in a boat. All around her were the sounds of people talking, mostly in French, though she did catch a few English speakers now and then. She herself spoke French almost exclusively now, to the point that she had begun to think in it. 

As she sipped her tea, she considered all the things that had led her to this point in her life. Leaving Canterlot High, the four years she and her sisters spent with the other Rubies in Manehattan, until Gem, Sunset, and Twilight all graduated and decided to go their separate ways. Though Adagio thought of joining them, she had decided against it in the end, and came here instead, getting herself and Carrie a small apartment in the seventh arrondissement. It was expensive, but worth it, since she got to see the Eiffel Tower every day when she woke up.

Her sisters were another story. Sonata had grown tired of Parisian life after a few months and went west, to Madrid. Aria, meanwhile, had moved to the north of England, and was now living somewhere in the city of Manchester. Adagio had realized that this was the first time she'd been without them... Ever. They still called each other every day though.

Adagio's reverie was broken by the ringing of her phone. Blushing at the glares she got from her fellow diners, she quickly checked the screen and found Gem was calling her. Tapping the accept call button, she raised the phone to her ear and said, "Bonsoir! Comment allez-vous ce soir?"

Gemini laughed. "I'm doing perfectly well thanks, Adagio. Starting this school year, I will soon be a teacher at Canterlot Elementary."

Adagio smiled, though she knew Gem couldn't see it. "That's wonderful news, dear girl! I'm so happy for you!"

"You and Raven both," Gem said with a smile of her own. "I can't wait to get started! I'm going to work on lesson plans tomorrow!"

"Speaking of Raven," Adagio asked, "How is she?"

"Splendidly," Gem replied. "Carrying a spell-born foal has not yet proven to be difficult, but we know it'll be a few more months. How are things with you?"

"Magnifique!" Adagio said happily. "Carrie and I are having the time of our lives here! If you can spare the time to come visit, you should!"

"I would love to Dagi," Gem said. "I'll talk it over with Raven tonight and we'll see what we can do." The doorbell rang, and Gem exclaimed, "Oh, that must be the mailmare... I'll call you again soon, Adagio! So long!"

"Au revoir!" Adagio said, hanging up. Then with a long sigh, she took another bite of her croissant and watched the stars come out.

* * *

The western city of San Franciscolt is home to over 850,000 ponies, and it has been widely considered the LGBT community's best-known hideaway. Also known for its cool summers, rolling hills, and regular fog, the city by the bay became the home of Emerald Wave and Twilight Sparkle following the latter's graduation from the University of Manehattan and the end of the former's contract with the Dazzlings after their European move. 

The grandeur of the city was, however, completely lost on Emerald, for she was sitting at the mixing console in her room/recording studio, working on one of her newest projects: creating a duet of sorts between Duran Duran and David Bowie.

All of a sudden, a tremendous explosion from the basement caused her to fall out of her chair, banging her head on the edge of the desk as she went. "OW! Sparks, what the hell are you doing down there?! Creating nuclear Armageddon?!" she shouted into the floor.

"No, I'm trying to see if I can convert magic into a form of renewable energy!" Twilight shouted back. "That way, we can go off the grid!"

Emerald sighed. "Just try to keep the noises down, would ya?" Getting up, she wandered from her room and into the kitchen to get some aspirin for the migraine she now had. Pills in hand, she reached in the fridge for a drink.

"Soda, milk, coffee... Kool-Aid?" She paused, spotting some mysterious red liquid in a pitcher. "Oh why not." She took a glass and poured the liquid inside, placed the pills on her tongue, and downed them, taking several gulps as she went along.

However, whatever was in the red liquid caused her to shake and convulse. Then with the sound of ripping fabric, her shirt, pants, and underwear all split apart, lying in shreds on the floor. Her body was shifting, transforming. Gigantic, demonic wings sprouted from her back as her skin darkened to a rusty red color. Her eyes became like those of a cat's, and she felt two of her fingers merge together into one, giving her four-fingered hands. Her feet shifted into cloven hooves, and two horns sprouted from her back. She screamed, the sound low and demonic.

Twilight ran up from downstairs, her glasses askew and her labcoat covered in soot. "Emerald? What the-" She stopped, seeing the half-empty glass on the table and her now demonic wife standing beside it. She sighed. "You thought it was fruit juice, didn't you?"

Emerald nodded. "Kool-aid, but same difference."

Twilight sighed. "I'll get the antidote..."

"Gem called earlier," Emerald said as Twilight started going through cabinets.

"What did she say?" Twilight found a bottle and shook out two purple tablets, which she placed in Emerald's mouth.

Emerald swallowed them and turned back to normal, then spoke: "She got the teaching job, and they're having a kid. Princess You helped them out.”

Twilight beamed and jumped around the room like an excitable schoolgirl. "Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes! Their foal will most certainly have magic in their blood! And you know what that means?!"

"What does that mean?" Emerald asked, crossing her arms and grinning back.

Twilight punched the air. "We are the progenitors of the next step of human evolution!”

Emerald smirked. “Yeah, four years ago.” And so went another average day in the Wave-Sparkle household.

* * *

The more Sunset thought about it, the more she felt it was only natural that she and Chrysalis would have gotten together. After all, at one point in their lives, both women had been aspiring conquerors of Equestria, both had gotten into a fight with Celestia, and both had sought, and received, their penance at the hands of the girl they had once hurt, Gemini Shadow.

"I'm home!" Sunset exclaimed, stepping through the door of the two-story house she shared with Chrysalis.

"About time!" Chrysalis replied, smirking. She came into the living room and kissed Sunset on the cheek, wearing an apron that said "KISS THE QUEEN" on it. "How was the lab?”

“Excellent,” Sunset replied, kissing back. “I think we’re really on our way to fusing human tech with pony tech. Princess Twilight and I will be making a speech about the project next week!”

Chrysalis smiled. “That’s great news, Sunny. Now come eat, I know what you’re like when you get into projects!”

Sunset laughed and followed her wife into the kitchen. “I’m coming, I’m coming!” she teased. Little Onyx cheered and hugged both of his moms.

* * *

In time, each of the girls Gem still called friends found reasons to return to their old hometown. Emerald and Twilight had been evicted from their house after another potion of Twilight’s had gone awry, so they were forced to pack up everything they owned and move into a house a few doors down from Shadowfall. Sunset and Chrysalis missed talking to Gem in person, and the Dazzlings had had enough of Europe for a while. Within six months, Gem, Raven, Sunset, Chrysalis, the Dazzlings, Carrie, Twilight, and Emerald had all moved back to Canterlot. On their first evening back together, the girls met at the same cafe where they’d spent so much of their time as teens, and sat around their old table.

“It’s so great to be back,” Gem said with a smile, looking around at the ladies she’d known for a decade now, “Even if things have changed a lot since we all first met. When I’m with you all, I feel like no time has passed at all.”

“I agree, dear girl,” Adagio said warmly, placing her hand on Gem’s. “I loved France dearly, but being here, in Canterlot, with all these wonderful girls by my side… I feel at home.”

“To our new lives, our old friendships, and new adventures!” Gem announced, raising her glass. The other 9 girls all clinked theirs and shouted, “Cheers!”


	2. In Memoriam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna and Gem mourn a lost friend.

It was a cold winter's day when Luna and Gem met at Happy McFunster's. The two mares arrived at roughly the same time, went inside, and shrugged off their winter coats and gloves, where they were guided through the room to their table, a small two-seater near the windows. It was, in effect, the strangest memorial that had ever been devised, but fitting.

"So this is where the three of you had your weekly meetings," Gem said, an amused smile on her face. "You know, this is the first time I've actually had the opportunity to visit... there simply wasn't time, in between marking homework and everything else, like looking after Raven and seeing that the foal is coming along okay."

"How far is it now?" Luna asked. "You said it was 3 months at the start of school."

Gem nodded. "Seven, now. Her due date is in February. We're thinking of giving her the middle name of Dawn Runner, after him."

"I think he'd like that," Luna said, smiling slightly. "I really do." Then the smile faded, and she sniffled. "I miss him so much, Gem... I knew he was hurt when I became principal and we had to break our romantic relationship off... I didn't want to do it, but you know how hard long-distance relationships are... I wish I hadn't taken the job... or even moved there with him..."

Gem took Luna's hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "He wouldn't have wanted that, Luna. You and I both know that. He could see as plain as day how happy being principal made you, and he knew you'd never be happy in Appleoosa, even if it was with him." There was a pause as the waitress came to take their drink orders.

"What was the last conversation you had with him?" Luna asked, when her cappuccino arrived. She stirred it gently with a spoon and sipped.

Gem smiled gently. "I asked him if he wanted to be the foal’s godfather when she’s born... he said yes, of course. Raven and I both thought it was the best way to repay him for all those years of loyalty and friendship. How about you?"

"Nothing as special as that," Luna said, looking thoughtful. "No, we just made plans to get together the next week.. plans that never came to fruition, of course."

Their food arrived at that moment, and the two were quiet as they ate. "Did I ever tell you the story of my first day at Canterlot High?" Gem asked, pausing in the middle of her cheese hayburger.

"I remember most of it," Luna said, smirking slightly. "But please, enlighten me on what I might have missed."

There was a pause as Gem considered her next words carefully. "I remember stepping onto the bus, and meeting his eyes for the first time, reading his face..." she began. "I was afraid he'd do that scanning thing ponies often do when they see somepony like me. They'll look for the adam's apple, the larger hands, the masculine jaw... you know. But he didn't. He saw me, all of me, as myself. He accepted me the moment our eyes met, and I've held on to that ever since."

"As I thought he would," Luna said with a smile. "Now, forgive me if I'm being too personal, but you didn't think of having all that changed? Surely there was some spell..."

Gem laughed. "Not even magic can change one's bone structure, Luna. Besides... it's a part of me as anything else, I wouldn't change those things for anything. I showed him some pictures of my old self once, he said I was handsome. And he was right. But he also said I was so much more beautiful as me than anybody else. And he was right about that too." She swallowed another bite of hayburger and continued. "I can't, and will not, speak for other trans mares, but I know that in my particular case, I will always acknowledge and accept the colt I used to be, and for a time, identified as."

Luna's eyes widened. "Really? But I thought you said you knew you were a mare at a young age!"

Gem nodded. "And indeed, I did. But for a few years, I tried to be as masculine as I possibly could, in an effort to try to stamp out what was "wrong" with me... I wore bow ties, fezzes, tweed jackets, the works... All in vain. It was when I moved to Canterlot that I realized this was my golden opportunity to become my true self at last. But..." She held her hand and compared it to Luna's, it was larger and more square. "My previous self was but a step in a larger journey.

“As my uncle said once, 'we all change, when you think about it. We're all different people all through our lives. And that's okay, that's good, you've got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be.' And in keeping some aspects of my masculine self while altering others, I am doing that as best I can." She sipped her drink and smiled again. "Now, tell me about your first day at Canterlot High!"

"Fair enough," Luna said with a smile. "Let's see... It was orientation day, two days before the start of term... I had arrived after transferring from Moon Academy, and he helped me find my way to Tia's office after I got lost, and just about every day for a week afterwards as I got used to the layout of the building." She giggled. "I think I was in love with him even then."

"What's one other memory with him that you'll always treasure?" Gem asked. 

Luna thought. "Our first date, for sure... We had dinner here, then we went dancing... I fell asleep in the car on the drive back home, and he kissed me, per your instructions." Gem blushed. "How about you?"

"There are plenty of moments, but.... I think mine will be the day he single-handedly talked me out of committing suicide after my brief transformation into a crazed she- demon." She glanced out the window. "No offense!"

"None taken," came the reply, as a text on Gem's phone.

"I was so glad he did that," Luna said. "Tia and I barely slept that week... Well, I didn't. Trixie's death was bad enough, but to lose you..." She shivered. "I might've quit then and there."

Gem stared, mouth agape. "Really? Surely you aren't serious!"

"I am," Luna replied. "You're the best student CHS has ever had, Gem... You have always been the heart and soul of the school, and if we'd lost you, it would be like losing a member of the family." She leaned in close. "To me, at least... You're practically a daughter. And I would not have been able to keep going at CHS if you'd been successful in your attempt."

Gem gave Luna a hug, tears in her eyes. "I can't tell you how much that means to me..." 

"You don't have to," Luna said, smiling gently. "Female intuition, remember?"

Gem laughed. "But of course! How could I have forgotten?" She finished her meal. "Shall we continue this discussion somewhere more... Reserved?"

Luna nodded. "You know, I don't think I've seen your house..." 

Gem smiled. "Then we'll have to fix that!"

* * *

"You know, I always figured your house was going to be big, being the daughter of nobility and all... But I didn't expect this," Luna said, as she and Gem stood in the grand entrance hall. "How much money do you have, exactly?"

"Enough to afford each of the renovation projects you've done on the school since I started there," Gem said, smirking. "Several times over."

"Hey girls," said Raven's voice from the sitting room. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Gem replied, leading Luna to the room in question and sitting, "Just reminiscing about Longhaul... Today is the anniversary of his death. We think."

Raven's jaw dropped. "It is? Aw, hell... And I've been sitting here on my flank all day!”

“Don’t you dare start feeling sorry for yourself, missy,” Gem said, in a half-teasing voice. She booped her wife’s nose playfully, and Raven wiggled it in response. “It was just the two of us, having a quiet moment together. Besides, Longhaul would understand why you’re largely immobile at this point.” A pillow flew at her head, and she squealed.

“Why did I marry you, exactly?” Raven asked, a teasing grin on her face.

Gem giggled. “My body, presumably. It’s not every day you fall in love with a girl who has, in more ways than one, the best of both worlds.”

Raven smirked. “Not that you can even claim that anymore. You have a vagina now!”

“True,” Gem conceded. “I feel it’s much better for me anyways!”

“Pardon the interruption,” Luna said, “As much as I enjoy this witty banter... but what exactly did you mean by ‘You have a vagina now’, Raven?”

“Oh yeah! When we were still in Manehattan, Gem revealed she had saved up a lot of money to pay for this really expensive, difficult procedure that would turn her male part into a female part,” Raven explained. “So she got an appointment with the doc, we went to the hospital, and they did what they had to do. Gem woke up the next morning with a brand new vagina, and since then, she’s been as happy as Sonata on Taco Tuesday.”

“I see,” Luna said, smiling. “Well, it is good to know that her transition is now complete.”

“Agreed,” said Gem, before snapping her fingers. “Luna, you must stay a while! Would you like anything to drink?”

Luna thought for a moment. “I do believe a cup of tea might be in order... I usually like to have one in the evenings. Would you care to join me?”

“I will,” Gem said, raising a hand. 

* * *

“So Raven,” Luna said, sipping from her teacup, “Why don’t you tell us about your first memory of Longhaul?”

Raven smirked. “You know what it is, Luna, you’re the one who sent me to his office in the first place! But alright, I’ll tell you.”

* * *

_Raven slouched on the chair in front of the well-worn desk. “I don’t even know why Luna suggested I come here in the first place,” she said, idly picking at a loose piece of duct tape on the arm of the chair. “I’ve been to different types of counselors before, but a bus driver? This has to be a first.”_

_“I don’t see you leaving, either,” replied Longhaul, from the other side of the desk. “Make no mistake, you’re free to go at any time, and I won’t stop you from doing so.”_

_Raven snorted. “Yeah, right ... and the minute I leave you report me to Luna and I get kicked out of school.”_

_He rested his arms on the desk. “Your being here is purely voluntary, on a suggestion from Luna. I didn’t send for you, I’m not taking attendance, and once you leave, our business is concluded. No reports to anyone.” He leaned forward slightly. “I’m just a sympathetic ear and a friendly face. Tell me anything you like, or don’t talk to me at all, the choice is yours.”_

_Raven plopped her feet on a corner of the desk. “So, what shall we talk about?” she asked in a sarcastic tone._

_Longhaul didn’t react. “Maybe you could explain why you felt Miss Shimmer had some sort of calcium deficiency, and you took it upon yourself to remedy that by attempting to feed Miss Shimmer her teeth.”_

_For the first time, Raven let out a sincere chuckle and smiled. “Very well put.” Her expression changed as she sat upright and stared directly at Longhaul. “Look, I put up with her bullying and teasing from the minute I walked into this place, but this last time she went too far. She made a crack about my mother. I don’t know how she knew about my home life, but she really got personal. Nobody insults my mother and gets away scot-free.” Raven’s voice was rising with emotion and volume as she continued. “My mother did the best she could after dealing with the deadbeat of a father I had! She did everything, she worked herself past exhaustion, and when the pain got too much, she drank – I hated seeing that, but it didn’t mean I loved her any less – and I still love her, even though I hardly see her any more – I miss her so much...” She dissolved into tears despite her attempts to control herself._

_A box of tissues appeared in front of her. Longhaul knelt down and said softly, “I also offer shoulders to cry on.” He felt Raven slam hard into him, letting all of her pent-up anger, sadness, guilt, and depression run in rivers down her face and onto Longhaul’s shirt. All he did was comfort her, letting her cry it out, rubbing her shoulders and whispering calming words to her._

* * *

“And that was how I met Longhaul,” Raven finished. “Gem started at CHS the next school year and the rest was history.”

"What a wonderful story," Luna said, smiling. She rose. "I should probably be getting home, but it was wonderful to see you two again."

"And you, Luna," Gem said, smiling back. “Drive safely!"

Luna waved and made her departure, driving off into the wintry night.


	3. Mothers' Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem and Raven have a baby.

Gemini Shadow had always wanted to be a mother. It was a feeling she’d had all her life, ever since her father had given her a toy bear as a child, and she spent many happy years caring for him as if he were her own child. When she had been a little older, and had it explained to her that she could never have a child of her own due to her biology, Gem had been utterly distraught, but couldn’t explain why to her confused father. Only her cousin Carrie had known the truth, and even she admitted there was nothing she could do to change Gem’s biology.

Discovering magic opened up a new world of possibilities for Gem. After her reformation, Sunset became her magic tutor, and the two girls would spend hours in a corner of CHS’ library, pouring over spell books that had been brought over from Equestria. But her search to find spells that would let her become pregnant were equally fruitless, and so Gem regretfully stowed the whole idea of parenting away in her mind, figuring it would never happen.

* * *

Life had changed quite a bit for Gem and Raven since their first meeting. They’d grown from teenagers into full-grown adult women, ladies with jobs and careers. Gem was now in her 20s, and would soon be approaching the age her mother and father had been when they’d had her.

“If there was ever a time to bring it up to Raven, it’s now,” Gem said to herself, as the last of the first-graders left the room. Since taking up the job teaching first grade at Baltimare Elementary School, Gem had begun to think of her 26 charges not just as students, but as the young ones she’d always dreamed of raising, but even that wasn’t enough anymore. She may act maternally around them, but she was still their teacher, which meant a much different set of responsibilities.

Sighing forlornly, Gem packed away her things and switched off the classroom lights with a brief wave of her glowing fingers, then left the room, as the door closed and locked behind her. She walked the empty halls to the faculty parking lot, put her bag in the trunk, and drove in the direction of the small, suburban house she and Raven had moved into after leaving Manehattan. It was just the two of them now, as the other six members of their group had been scattered to the winds. Though social media meant they could stay in touch, liking each other’s statuses or doing a group video call wasn’t quite the same as the old face-to-face chats they’d had as teens.

Once home, Gem parked in the driveway and climbed out of the car, grabbed her bag, and unlocked the door of the little house, stepping inside. “I’m home,” she announced.

Raven emerged from the kitchen, holding a hot cup of tea prepared just as Gem liked it. “She handed the cup to Gem and kissed her. “Welcome home, dear. Dinner’s almost done, have a seat and I’ll call you when were ready to eat.”

"Thank you love," Gem replied, taking the tea and going to sit in her favourite chair by the window. "How was your day? Everything going okay at the magic shop?"

“Same as it ever was,” Raven said with a sigh. “Lotsa curious ponies, some foals looking for simple parlour tricks, know-it-alls discussing the merits of Penn and Teller... you know, typical day for me. How was your day in the trenches?”

"Alright, I suppose," Gem said with a sigh of her own. "The kids are wonderful as ever, I just have a lot on my mind tonight.”

Raven entered the dining area and set two plates of food down on the table, hugging her wife with a wing. She smiled and pulled out Gem’s chair. “Come and eat for now, try not to think about it.”

"It looks delicious," Gem says happily, and gets up to join her wife over at the table. "Mmm... I never thought you'd be the cooking type, Raven. You used to order takeout whenever we got together in Canterlot! Did Corvus teach you how?"

“A little,” Raven admitted, “and I might have asked Longhaul for a few recipes that I could do. He even sent me some links to cooking videos that I can watch at the store when business is slow.”

"You're doing a wonderful job, love." Gem leans forward and kisses Raven on the nose. As they eat, Gem doesn't speak much, staring pensively into space. She gets so out of it that she doesn't even notice she's eating air until she hears the scraping of metal on china. "Gah! What in the world?!"

“Um, Gem...generally one stops eating when all of the food is removed from the plate,” Raven says with a chuckle. Then, in a more serious tone, she asks, “What’s on your mind that it has you so distracted?”

Gem puts down her silverware and looks deep into her beloved's eyes. "I want to be a mother," she replied. "I've wanted to be one for as long as I can remember, and no matter what I tried, it's not possible. I can't get pregnant. And I can't really give you a child anymore, since I have a vagina now. And even if I didn't, I would've had to get my sperm frozen before I started hormones and I didn't, so..." She sighs. "I suppose we could adopt, but it wouldn't be the same... I want our child to be a mix of our DNA. But I don't think it's possible." She looks down. "I'm being silly, aren't I?"

Raven set her fork down and tried to take in all that Gem blurted out. “I...I don’t know what to say,” she finally replied.

Gem sighed and got up, clearing away the dishes and going over to wash them. "It's nothing... just me, rambling and hoping someone understands... you know, like always." She sniffles, then finally starts crying as she washes the dishes, her tears mixing with the soapy water in the sink.

Raven walked up behind Gem and wrapped her arms around her. “Gem, it’s not that I don’t understand, this just...well, it all seems so sudden. I suppose working with those kids all day might have had some input into your decision, it just seems so far out of left field that I’m having a hard time trying to figure out what to do. How long have you felt like this?”

"Since I was about six," Gem replied, once she was able to calm herself down enough to speak. "I had a teddy bear... he was a little white bear, I called him Ringo... and I treated him as if he was my own little one. Father thought it was cute, Mother thought it was improper... when I was eight, she sold him back to the toy store while I was at school, and refused to let me get him back when I found out."

Raven hugged Gem tight, then moved next to her and began rinsing and drying the dishes. “I had always figured we’d find a way to have children of our own, I just didn’t expect it so soon. And, while the conventional ways are pretty much out of the question, maybe...there might be a magical way?”

"Do you think?" Gem dried her hands and looked astonished. "Who would we even ask? Sunset lives in Las Pegasus now, and she's the only one with a magic journal!" Then she gasps, and her gaze lands on an innocuous-looking mirror in the living room. "The portal! Of course!"

Raven smiled, and dabbed a bit of suds on Gem’s nose. “There’s the bubbly mare I married!” she said. “Look, Sunset usually Skypes with us on Friday nights, so why don’t we ask her to contact Princess Twilight and let her know we’d like to drop in and visit, just so there’s no surprises?”

"Excellent idea!" Feeling cheered up, Gem kisses Raven's cheek and spins her around, smiling brightly. "You're a genius!"

Raven blushes. “I have my moments.”

* * *

“Hey girls!” said a pair of cheery voices on Gem’s laptop screen. Sunset Shimmer was visible in the video call window, as was her now-wife, Chrysalis, former queen of the changelings. (The pair had gotten married at a chapel in Las Pegasus.)

Gem smiled and waved at their two friends, “Good to see you two again! How have you both been?”

“Amazing,” Chrysalis replied. “My counseling practice has gotten really popular lately, I get clients from all over the country now!” Her smile dimmed. “Most of them are concerned about the current president, but there’s very little I can do about that.”

“How about you, Sunny?” Raven asked, steering the conversation away from political waters with no subtlety whatsoever, “What have you been up to?”

Sunset held up a magazine cover with her picture on it. “I got my paper on how magic alters the human body published in Science magazine!” she squealed. “Well, okay, it’s not just mine, I co-wrote it with Twilight. Everyone who’s read it says it’ll completely transform the way we think about biology and evolution!”

Gem smiled and clapped her hands. “That’s great news, you two! Sunset, while you’re here, there’s something I wanted to ask you…”

* * *

A few days later, Gem and Raven stepped through the mirror portal into Princess Twilight’s castle. Both mares remained as they were prior to crossing, since there was enough equine DNA in them to render the transformation spells useless.

Twilight smiled and hugged each of them as they arrived. “It’s good to see you two again,” Twilight said happily. “Sunset said you had something important to ask me? She didn’t say what it was, however, just that you two were keeping it secret from everyone.”

Gem nodded, working up the courage to speak. "I want to have a foal," she said at last. "One of mine and Raven's flesh and blood. But we can't do it with normal methods for a variety of reasons, and I don't want to adopt... but maybe there's a magical way it can be done? Raven seems to think so, it was her idea to come here."

“Hmmm...” Twilight thought, rubbing her chin. “I don’t know if anything like this has even been tried before. Let’s see if I have anything in my library about it.” She walked over to one of the massive bookshelves and selected a few books with her magic. “Hopefully, there’s an answer in here, but if not, I’ll have to go to the Canterlot archives.” She began scanning the books.

"I wonder how four-legged pony foals are born anyway," Gem says, sitting down on her haunches. "Pumpkin and Pound Cake for example! Did the Cakes in this world engage in sexual relations with each other? What if it's a same-sex couple? If our Lyra and Bonbon are any indication, they're certainly more than just best friends, and I'm almost certain one would want to have the other's baby if the opportunity presented itself and..." She paused. "Raven, why haven't I kicked the rambling habit yet?"

Raven kissed Gem on the nose. “Sweetie, the day you stop rambling and overthinking things is the day I know something’s seriously wrong with you.”

Gem laughs and playfully nips one of Raven's ears. "You're too kind, my darling. I don't know how I'd manage without you." She looks back to Twilight. "Find anything promising, Princess?"

Books swirl around Twilight’s head as she scans them for relevant information. “Possibly… I’ve set a couple of books aside that look like they might have the answer, but I want to cross-reference with a few other sources to make sure there isn’t a newer version somewhere and I’m not using an archaic spell that was corrected and perfected more recently.”

Raven gives Gem a deadpan look. “You sure you two aren’t related somehow?”

Gem laughs some more. “Pretty sure, yes!” She thinks as hard as she can, tapping her fingers to her chin. "In one of my favorite sci-fi books, there are 8 girls who are the cloned descendants of some older characters, created by fusing human DNA with the DNA of their species... maybe we could do something similar?"

“Maybe...” Twilight thought for a moment. “It might be possible to take one of Raven’s ova and merge your DNA with it...it just might work! There’s no guarantee, but with some magic, it might be enough to start the process toward creating a viable embryo.”

"I agree!" Gem nods. "I'm ready to try this out." She looks over to Raven. "How about you, love?"

Raven wraps her arms around Gem. “Let’s do it.”

* * *

In no time at all, Twilight (with Starlight's help) has prepared a test tube with a combination of Gem's and Raven's DNA. The alicorn and the unicorn begin to cast the spell, there's a flash of light, and then… the test tube is empty, transferred into Raven's womb via a modified teleport spell.

Gem looks on in astonishment. "I guess it worked..." she whispers, awed.

“I’ve done all I can do from this end,” Twilight says. “Keep alert for signs of pregnancy pregnancy and get in touch with an OB/GYN as soon as you can.”

"We will," Gem promises, squeezing Raven's hoof. "Thank you, Princess." She bows, then departs with Raven back to their world.

* * *

Raven, it turns out, does indeed become pregnant. Both she and Gem are honest with the OB/GYN about the unorthodox method of conception, and Twilight discovers that due to their hybrid nature, the gestation period is eleven months rather than nine. Six months of the way through the pregnancy, the two return to Canterlot, as Gem now has her official teaching certification. Back in Shadowfall Manor at last, Gem runs a hand along Raven's expanded belly, smiling. "What do you want to name them?"

“I thought you had that all picked out already,” Raven retorts.

"I had a few ideas," Gem said with a shrug. "Orion, if a colt... Victoria, if a filly. But those are just first names. There are middle names too." She smiled. "You should get to pick those."

“Okay, middle names...” Raven said, thinking. “How about Dustin if it’s a colt, and Marie if it’s a filly?”

Gem smiles. "Orion Dustin Shadow or Victoria Marie Shadow... I like it." She giggles happily and kisses Raven softly on the lips. "Behold, my marvelous magician, the trick of a lifetime…"

Raven laughs. “Ta-daaaaaaaa...”

* * *

Gem had been at lunch when she got a text from Raven on her phone: "My water broke," it read. Gem's reaction was immediate: "On my way." She grabbed her things and ran toward her car as fast as she could.

At the hospital, Raven is put on a gurney and wheeled into the delivery room, surrounded by an assortment of doctors and nurses. At the head of the pack is a grey-skinned man who strongly resembles Longhaul.

Gem bursts in a few minutes later, and is led to a waiting area, where Steno is already. She flops unceremoniously down into a chair, taking deep breaths. "And one month early, too... this baby really is mine..." she gasps.

“Must’ve passed along that ‘overachiever’ gene,” Steno joked.

The grey-skinned man walked out into the waiting room. “Gemini Shadow?” he called out. Gem raised her hand.

“Hello, I’m Doctor Hoofston. Your regular doctor is dealing with an emergency so I’ve been asked to fill in,” said the man. He looked over Raven’s chart. “You’ll be happy to know that things are fine overall, however we’re going to have to do a C-section, since Raven’s birth canal is somewhat smaller than normal, and a normal vaginal delivery would be too harmful to both mother and child. You have my word that Raven will be well cared for.”

"I have every faith in you, doctor," Gem replies, looking into Hooftston's eyes. "You didn't happen to know a Longhaul Hoofer at some point, did you? He was our bus driver in school... you look a lot like him."

“Nope, can’t say the name rings a bell,” Doctor Hoofston replied. “Nice to know there’s someone else out there with striking good looks as well.” He smiles. “You may as well go to the cafeteria and get something to eat, this is going to take a little while. I’ll update you once the surgery’s completed.” He takes Gem’s hand and gives it a small squeeze. “She’s in good hands...so try not to worry.” He lets go and turns to leave.

"I honestly can't believe this is happening," Gem says to Steno an hour or so later. The two old friends are sitting in the hospital cafeteria, eating a hastily prepared dinner made out of whatever they could find that looked halfway appetizing. "And in my hometown, of all things... can you imagine what my teenage self would do if she were in my place?"

Steno’s mind projects an image of teenage Gem running in circles, screaming in panic. He shakes his head. “Nope, can’t say that I could,” he answers. He takes a bite of dinner. “Have you messaged the others and told them the good news yet?”

"I'm waiting for the foal to be born first," Gem replies. "I'll take a picture of Raven holding her, and then send it to them all at once." A thought occurs to her. "Steno, I've been thinking... as the position of godfather is currently vacant, what with Longhaul's passing and all, would you like to take it?"

Steno is stunned. “Why, sure… I’d be honored, Gem. Thank you very much!”

Gem smiles and holds Steno's hand in hers. "You've been the best assistant, and friend, a girl could ask for... think of it as a thank you." She kisses his cheek gently.

Steno blushes.

* * *

Back in the waiting room, Gem is busy reading a magazine and Steno is leaning back in his chair, snoring gently. Doctor Hoofston comes in and smiles at Gem. “Congratulations, Mom.”

Gem gasps and gets to her feet, following Doctor Hoofston into the delivery room. "Oh... oh my goodness... can it be?" she asks breathlessly.

“It can, and it is.” Hoofston steps back and lets Gem see for herself.

Gem steps up to Raven's bed and spots a bundle. She looks, and smiles. Curled up in a pale pink blanket is a baby girl with dark grey skin. Her hair is black with brown streaks. Finally, like Gem, she's a unicorn aspect, with a tiny nub of a horn resting on her forehead. Gem takes a picture, then kisses the little girl's forehead gently. "Hello, Victoria Marie Shadow," she whispers. "It's nice to meet you."

Raven wearily looks up at Gem. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” she croaks, still groggy from the anesthetic.

"Gorgeous," Gem replies, kissing Raven on the cheek. "I can't wait to see her grow." Her phone explodes with joyful texts from their friends, and then vibrates as Gem's father calls. She goes into the hallway to take it. "So... you now have a granddaughter," Gem says into the receiver. "How do you feel?"

“I feel...wonderful,” Azul says, “like a beautiful dream has come true. I’m going to make some time to come down and see her. After you all get settled in, of course.”

Gem nods. "We appreciate it. I'm sure Victoria will be very happy to see you."

* * *

That night at Shadowfall, little Victoria laid down in between both of her mothers and happily cooed, waving her little arms around.

"Time for sleep, little one," Gem whispered, kissing the newborn's cheek.

Raven climbed into bed on Victoria's other side. "We'll be right here if you wake up in the night," she added. Her hand glowed dark purple, and with a snap of her fingers, the lights went out.


	4. Gem vs the Bathroom Bill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gem's career in politics begins when a anti-trans bathroom bill is passed in Canterlot, preventing her from using the women's bathroom at work. She and her friends come up with a plan to fix things.

Unsurprisingly, Gem had always taken a big interest in local politics. From working with her father during his mayoral campaigns to her role as founder and first president of the Rainbow Alliance at Canterlot High, there was always something to watch out for, and something to fight against.

When she and the rest of the girls returned to Canterlot following their stay in Manehattan, they could tell something had changed. The new mayor, Diamond Tiara, had been swept into office on a platform of restoring so-called "conservative values" back to the city, and brought with her a Republican-controlled city council just as eager to do her will.

The first indication that Gem had that something had changed came in her first few weeks at CHS. As she went to the ladies room during her break, an unfamiliar voice was heard: "Stay where you are and do not move! This is the Bathroom Safety Squad!"

Gem froze as a woman in a standard police uniform walked into the room and looked right at Gem. "Ma'am, do you have a license to use this facility?"

Gem's jaw dropped. "I beg your pardon, officer? This is a public facility, I don't need a license to use a bathroom! My tax dollars have already contributed enough!"

The officer shook her head. "I'm sorry ma'am, but the new city ordinance clearly states that anybody who is not genetically or anatomically male or female may not use a bathroom that is not for their assigned birth sex."

Gem reached into her purse and produced her city ID card. "It clearly says Gemini Aquarius Shadow. My sex is listed as female. What more information could you need?"

The officer frowned. "I'm afraid that isn't quite enough. Were you born female, or did you become so through artificial means?"

"How dare you!" Gem shouted, tears in her eyes. "I may have been born male, but that doesn't make me less of a mare!"

"According to the law, it makes you a stallion," the officer replied. "I'll let you off with a warning for now, but if you are seen in here again I will be forced to arrest you and you will be charged a $2000 fine.”

Gem had no response to this. She simply stormed away and walked quickly to Luna’s office, let her know she would be taking the rest of the day off, and headed back home as quickly as she could.

“Gem, is everything okay?” Steno Pad asked, as his employer and best friend came in through the big front doors of the manor. 

“No, Steno,” Gem replied, her eyes red from crying. “Everything is wrong, all wrong.” She hugs him tight then heaves a deep sigh, “Prepare me my usual cup of tea, please… I’ll be in the sitting room…” She left and quickly went upstairs to the master bedroom to change into something more comfortable, then headed back down to watch TV.

* * *

Hours later, Raven came home from a day at her shop (the Bag of Tricks) to find her wife glued to the TV set. People bearing protest signs and the trans pride flag were marching down to city hall, while other people were lined up on either side of the street with bottles and rocks ready to be thrown.

Raven gaped. "What the hell is going on down there?" she asked.

"They're protesting the new bathroom law," Gem explained.

Raven blinked. "I didn't know there was one, what's going on with that?"

"Well, a policewoman almost arrested me for using the mares' bathroom at work today," Gem said. "The next time she caught me I would have to pay a fine." She sprung to her feet, with a fire in her eyes Raven had recognized since high school.

Raven smiled. "You're going to go down there and join them, aren't you?"

"Of course!" Gem exclaimed, getting her coat. "I'll be back!"

* * *

The next thing Raven knew, she was watching raptly as her beloved wormed her way into the crowd, got a megaphone, and climbed onto a small podium, where she began to speak: "Brothers, sisters, gender non-conforming individuals, lend me your ears! Discrimination is alive and well in our fair city, and the council has shown they are not interested in solving it!" Wild applause met these words, and she continued. "The next council election is in a year, and I urge everypony standing here tonight to get out and vote! Make your voices heard, my friends! We will _not_ submit to their tyranny, their hatred, their anger! Let the word ring forth from this time and this place that we will not be silenced! We will not be quelled! And we will not be satisfied until each and every one of us is allowed to live a happy and productive life!"

Then, all at once, Gem felt cold metal clamp across her wrists as a familiar voice said "Mrs. Shadow, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?" Gem nodded. "With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?” asked Shining Armor.

Gem thought for a moment. "Captain, why am I being arrested?"

Shining's answer was prompt. "I hate to say it, but you are in violation of city ordinance number 112, section 3, which clearly states that public demonstrations can only occur when the city has given permission. Since that is not the case tonight, I have been given orders to arrest you all. I'm sorry Gem, but that's the way things are right now." He led Gem to his car and helped her inside, then drove her off to the police station. "Truth be told? I admire you for standing up for your rights, and allowing yourself to be arrested in defense of those rights."

Gem blushed. "It runs in the family, Captain."

* * *

Gem was placed in a cell and released on bail a couple hours later, once word got out of her arrest. As she and Raven walked out of the station to Raven’s car, the lavender girl chuckled. “You made an amazing speech last night, sweetie,” she said. “All off the top of your head, too! I really think you should go into politics someday.”

“Aren’t I already?” Gem asked her, as they climbed into the car and started for home, “with the Alliance and everything?”

“I mean like…” Raven thought for a moment. “Elected politics. City council, the mayor, you know! Things like that!”

Gem chuckled. “Someday, maybe,” she said thoughtfully. “Yes… maybe I will.”

* * *

The next day, Gem breezed into Luna’s office during her lunch break. “Luna,” she began, “do you know who the current president of the Alliance is?”

Luna thought for a moment. “You’ll be looking for Pizzicato Melody,” she said after a moment. “The daughter of Vinyl and Octavia.” She smiled a bit. “Am I to assume this has something to do with the events of last night?”

Gem laughed. “It has everything to do with it, Luna. I’ll explain later.”

That afternoon, Pizzicato Melody entered Gem’s classroom after the end of that week’s Alliance meeting. “You wanted me, Mrs. Shadow?” she asked. Pizzicato shared Vinyl’s skin and eye colors, and Octavia’s hairstyle.

“You can call me Auntie Gem now that school is over, you know,” Gem reminded, smiling.

Pizzi giggled. “Sure, Auntie. What’s up?” 

Gem leaned forward slightly. “Well, assuming your mothers told you about last night, and I’m certain they did, I was thinking… we need a proper LGBT advocacy group in this town. The Alliance is splendid at providing support for people like us, since I started it and all, but the events of last night have shown me that more needs to be done. So I am asking you, in your capacity as president of Canterlot High’s Rainbow Alliance, will you help me start an advocacy group?” She offered Pizzi her hand.

Pizzi took it immediately. “Of course I will, Auntie! We could call ourselves the Rainbow Guardians!”

Gem nodded approvingly. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”

And so it was that the Rainbow Guardians, the advocacy arm of the Rainbow Alliance, was officially formed at the Shadow family’s kitchen table that same evening, with Gem, Raven, Pizzi, Vinyl, and Octavia in attendance. The group’s mission was simple: they would petition the city government to repeal any laws they perceived as being discriminatory and would encourage pro-LGBT candidates to run for office.

One weekend afternoon, Gem gave a speech to the council members during a special meeting. Dressed in a plain business suit, she spoke clearly: “Council members, Madam Mayor, I stand before you today as a member of a community directly impacted by Council Bill 2. This bill, which was swiftly discussed and signed into law without regard for its effects on the citizens of this city, has harmed us all. In my own case, I was recently accosted by a members of the Bathroom Safety Squad for the alleged crime of using the mare's bathroom whilst transgender.” She paused a moment to adjust her reading glasses. “But I am not the only one this bill has hurt. Two weeks ago, a very good friend of mine, Emerald Wave, was attacked on her way home from a recording session for the alleged crime of walking down the street. Like me, Emerald is transgender. Had it not been for her quick thinking, she might have met a terrible end. This bill has harmed the lives of two, and will harm the lives of many more if it is not repealed. I urge you, as fellow citizens and as ponies capable of great compassion: repeal this bill at once, and apologize to those it has harmed, directly or indirectly.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Shadow, you may go,” said Mayor Tiara crisply. Gem nodded and left.

* * *

"And in local news, the Canterlot city council voted today not to repeal the controversial Council Bill 2, with six opposing the repeal and four supporting it. A statement released by Mayor Tiara's office reads: "Council Bill 2 is specifically designed to ensure the safety and privacy of every stallion, mare, and foal within Canterlot. To repeal this law would mean allowing male predators into women's restrooms and other vicious crimes." At the Melody household, this news was met with some dismay.

"What a load of horseshit!" shouted Vinyl, gesticulating wildly with both arms.

"VINYL!" shouted Octavia, "How many times must I tell you to not swear in front of our daughter?"

Pizzi sighed. "Mom, please. I'm in high school. They say a lot worse in the locker room!"

"Besides," Vinyl pointed out, "Why should I watch my language? They're practically legalising hate crimes now!"

Across town, things were much the same over at the Shadow household. Gem sat at the kitchen table, head bowed as she cried into her shirtsleeves. While Adagio massaged her shoulders, Raven was pacing. "We gotta do somethin' about those bastards!" she said, looking furious.

"But what?" Adagio asked. "This isn't like high school where we could just blast the enemy of the month with a good dose of friendship magic."

Raven thought for a moment. "Well, you musta heard Gem's little speech the other night, saying how we needed to elect decent people to the council. What if one of us girls ran?"

Adagio thought for a moment, "You know, that's not a bad idea... but which of us? You have the shop, Gem is busy with teaching, the girls and I are being musicians..." Then it dawned on her. "What about Sunset and Twilight?"

Raven nodded. "Exactly what I was thinking. They could even run on the same ticket!"

"So, do we call them over tomorrow and talk it over?" Adagio asked.

Raven nodded again. "Yeah, let's do.”

* * *

Raven, Gem, Adagio, Sunset, and Twilight got together the next afternoon at their usual hangout spot, the corner booth at Sugarcube Corner. The Cakes still worked there, though word on the street was that they’d be transferring full day-to-day operations to Pumpkin and Pound Cake before too long.

“Here is why we think you two should run,” Adagio said, consulting a paper she and Raven had written up the night before. “Sunset, we’re sure that you would have retained some knowledge of the inner working of politics from being Princess Celestia's student back in Equestria.”

Raven took the paper and spoke next. “Twilight, you’ve got a sharp mind for procedures, being a scientist and all. You’d be able to use that to your advantage in steering the course of meetings and introducing legislation.”

“The third and final reason we think you should run,” Gem finished, “is that having you two on the council would make it less heavily conservative. I believe that this city is much more liberal than the ruling class would like to acknowledge. Having the two of you there would give us guaranteed yes votes on things important to us."

"I think those are sound theories," Twilight said, pushing her glasses back up her nose. "But where are we going to get the money? Running a campaign is very expensive, after all."

"Well, assuming you don't want to run on corporate cash and Super PACs," Gem says, "Why not ordinary citizens?"

Sunset thought this over for several minutes, then nodded. "It could take a lot of work, but I believe that once people hear our message, they'll come out and donate."

* * *

The campaign proved to be surprisingly intense. Sunset and Twilight's opponents ran a vicious attack-based campaign, beginning with the insinuation that Sunset was a crazed she-demon who couldn't be trusted to one that cast both of them as friends of pedophiles, specifically Gem and Emerald. To their credit however, Sunset and Twilight never attacked back, deciding to keep their campaign focused on the issues. After a long-fought battle, it was done: the two of them became full fledged city council members, giving it a liberal majority in the process. They celebrated by repealing the bill that led to all this in the first place: Council Bill 2.


End file.
